Srinagar, July 10: The sun had barely dipped behind the Pir Panchal range when Ghulam Nabi Dar, a wiry man in his 60s, left his village. With a flashlight and a kettle in hand, he, along with three other fellow men, began a night-long journey into the forested areas of Tangmarg to look for some water.
This is not any sort of adventurous journey for him, but a dangerous track in deserted areas inhabited by wild animals. “This is how we have been living here. The paddy and apple orchards are at risk now because of a lack of irrigation water. So, we have to again go to Kulwaan to guard water from the source till the fields,” he said.
For the second year in a row, Kashmir’s summer has arrived with little to no rain. The usual rhythm of June and July downpours has been broken again, drying up streams, emptying canals, and threatening vast stretches of farmland.
The prolonged spell of dry and unusually hot weather in Jammu and Kashmir has triggered an irrigation crisis, leaving paddy and apple farmers across the Valley grappling with shrinking water sources and the looming threat of crop failure.
For over a month now, the region has seen little to no rainfall, with temperatures soaring above normal. Last month, the summer capital recorded its hottest June since 1978.
Under such circumstances, villagers, especially in North Kashmir, have turned once again to the age-old practice of Kulwaan—a traditional system of water management and protection.
Under Kulwaan, villagers form groups and move to the upper reaches of the mountains where streams originate, managing and guarding their share of water for irrigation. The practice, rooted in Kashmir’s agrarian past, has resurfaced as a lifeline for thousands of farmers amid growing concerns over erratic weather and dwindling water resources.
“Last year, it didn’t rain for over two months during the peak summer, and we had to guard the water day and night. This year, we’re facing the same situation. Kulwaan has become our only hope,” said Ghulam Ahmad Dar, a Sarpanch from Warpora village in Pattan.
The same practice is being organised by the farmers in South Kashmir as well, who guard the water to irrigate their fields. “Though we don’t have to go too far like north Kashmir farmers, but we have to stay awake through the night to irrigate the fields,” said Mohsin Akhter, a local from Kulgam.
Environmental experts warn that such patterns of prolonged dry weather may become more frequent due to climate change. “Recurring drought-like conditions in Kashmir’s summer months are no longer unusual. Local adaptation practices like Kulwaan show how communities are responding, but long-term water management strategies are urgently needed,” said Irshad Ahmad Bhat, a Botanist and a climate researcher.